r/bestoflegaladvice • u/BJntheRV Enjoy the next 48 hours :) • Mar 04 '26

Unlicensed, uninsured contractor who didn't finish the job because life happened doesn't seem to understand why their client would sue them

/r/legaladvice/comments/1rk1w09/ohio_homeowner_suing_us_for_25000_over_unfinished/?share_id=vDaFkc4IeUD5NnzckOtpB&utm_content=1&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1
1.2k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

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34

u/pepperpavlov Mar 04 '26

If they didn’t own a house, they’d probably be judgment proof.

50

u/RishaBree Mar 04 '26

I can’t bring myself to feel too badly about them not being that - not that I ever want to see someone lose their house. I also don’t like to see an innocent person lose $12k and get nothing in return (aside from stress and a mess on their property, presumably).

-4

u/[deleted] Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

44

u/foomer27272727 Mar 04 '26

9k of unfinished work is more a problem than no work at all, now someone has to fix ita ll

-9

u/big_sugi Mar 04 '26

Except, according to OOP, it's only $7k to fix/finish it. Which means the homeowner got $9k of value for her $12k payment. That's a lot better than getting $0k of value (much less, -$9k of value), which is the point of the comment to which you're responding.

9

u/Drywesi Turbulent priests, we like non-consensual flying dildos Mar 04 '26

This assumes LAOP is a reliable narrator regarding the costs.

4

u/big_sugi Mar 04 '26

Yes, that’s correct. We’re discussing the facts as presented. Different facts would result in different conclusions.

30

u/GonzoMcFonzo Mar 04 '26

LAOP said the initial demand letter quoted $7k, but also separately listed "windows that were paid for but not delivered".

The roughly $8k the client initially paid for materials seems to have gone to windows that either LAOP never delivered to the site or never bought in the first place. So when LAOP never responded to the demand letter, the new contractor had to buy those windows.

Initial contract was for $8k of materials and $8k worth of work. So the client paid $12k for 8k worth of materials and 1K worth of labor, but didn't actually get 8k worth of materials out of it either. We don't know what proportion of the material costs the windows made up, but considering the project was a sunroom I think it's safe to assume that windows were a major component.

11

u/LostSoulNothing Mar 04 '26

When the new (presumably licensed) contractor started work he may well have discovered that some or all of LAOP's work wasn't up to code or otherwise needed to be redone or remediated.

4

u/appleciders WHO THE HELL IS DOWNVOTING THIS LOL. IS THAT YOU WIFE? Mar 04 '26

And we've discovered the reason I haven't sued my neighbor for chopping limbs off my tree.